Westfall pursues 50/50 split of police costs with Matamoras

Westfall Township supervisors are again seeking to lower the township's portion of the cost of Eastern Pike Regional Police Department, which is shared with Matamoras.

BETH BRELJE

Westfall Township supervisors are again seeking to lower the township's portion of the cost of Eastern Pike Regional Police Department, which is shared with Matamoras.

Right now, Westfall pays the larger share, 53 percent, to Matamoras' 47 percent, and is proposing a 50/50 split.

At a recent Westfall meeting, supervisors Larry Flansburg and Ray Banach called for a letter to be sent to Matamoras requesting a meeting in April between supervisors and council members.

It is a rerun of November 2012, when Westfall supervisors Robert Ewbank, Flansburg and Banach voted to send a letter to Matamoras that threatened to withdraw from the department if Westfall could not get more favorable budget numbers. In February 2013, Westfall rescinded the letter.

The written agreement between the municipalities stated that when they do not agree on the budget, police must use numbers from the last time the parties agreed.

That is why the police are using 2012 contribution numbers in 2014.

The department, formed in 2008 through the consolidation of the former Westfall and Matamoras police departments, is funded partially through grants, fines and contracting services. The rest is split between Westfall and Matamoras through a formula.

Westfall has a slightly lower population, 2,323 residents, but with 31 square miles, it has more taxable lots plus businesses including Walmart and Kmart, which produce many shoplifting calls.

In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Westfall's contribution was $385,655 a year for police service.

Matamoras Borough, with 2,469 residents but less than one square mile of land, contributed $341,996 each of those years.

In an Oct. 16, 2013, letter authored by Westfall Solicitor Robert Bernathy, Westfall again asked to meet with Matamoras Borough council members to discuss the apportionment (split) formula and to discuss the legality of the regionalization agreement. Bernathy wrote that regionalization agreement in in 2007.

Matamoras did not respond to the October 2013 letter so Bernathy wrote another letter Feb. 25, 2014, to Matamoras Solicitor Eric Hamill requesting a response to the Oct. 16 letter, and requesting that the meeting be held privately, which would bar the public from hearing deliberations.

"As this matter involves personnel, it would be my opinion that we can have a meeting in executive session," Bernathy wrote.

Hamill sent a letter March 6, rejecting the private meeting.

"It is my understanding that the meeting will not be for either of the two purposes suggested in your letter. In addition, I do not believe that the subject matter of the meeting would be appropriate for an executive session," Hamill wrote, and then suggested two dates in April for the meeting.

In an earlier letter, Hamill reminded Bernathy that the council and supervisors held a meeting last year, but some Westfall supervisors refused to attend the meeting if attorneys were present.

Last week, Westfall supervisors said they would send a letter to Matamoras agreeing to meet April 23 at the Matamoras municipal building. There was some disagreement over whether or not Westfall should threaten to pull out of the department if it cannot get a 50/50 split. As of Monday, the letter had not been written yet.

"Hopefully, we can iron things out so things are smooth between Matamoras and Westfall," Matamoras Mayor Janet Clark said.